Maintaining interest is difficult in a world full of great activities and distractions for children. Many sports capture the interest of children by being played over a term, a series or a season. SAJG runs its Team Apples competition in a similar way, to assist young players in being team focussed and stiving to make the final. A number of the other SAJG events are played in a team based format, enabling a sense of fun and camaraderie to be developed.
Many strong friendships have developed through SAJG events for both the players and the parents. Any sport seems a lot more fun if you have a friend to play it with and enjoy the ups and downs.
Competition
As your child progresses through the sport, however, many of the events become individual. Golf, in essence, is an individual sport. Children are often motivated by being able to achieve. In golf, achievement may be defined in many ways, but often to just complete their round, to make a first par or birdie or to beat their best score can be highly motivating.
Parents should be encouraging and take time to understand the sport even if they don't play themselves. The rules of golf are complex and not easy to learn. However, there are a number of books that have "simplified" the rules somewhat and cover the major areas that crop up more frequently. The main aim through it all is to keep the game fun....that is what will attract juniors to the sport. Giving your child access to achievement through junior competitions will help to maintain their interest.
Diversity
One of golf's great strengths as a game is that it is played on such a diversity of courses and landscapes. Try to expose your child to as many new courses as you can. The challenges, beauty and diversity of different golf courses is a natural stimulant to a young golfer's interest. Many golf courses offer green fee specials, especially in the quieter months of the year.
Golfers love to play new courses or return to a course that they find special. Those feelings may come from the environment, the experience they had outside of the golf itself, or even the fact that they had a great round there.
Growth
Children like to feel a sense of growth through their golfing life. Their world might be broader through their experiences, their achievements, new places, new fiends or even joining a golf club and feeling a sense of belonging.
Stuart's vision encompasses all that, and he sincerely hopes that the game of golf can enrich the lives of many families in the way it has done his.
